Just six points separate the top five teams following another exciting goal laden weekend of Danske Bank Premiership action.

The weekend action kicked off on Friday evening when leaders Cliftonville visited Carrick Rangers but despite leading throughout had to settle for a 3-3 draw in the end.

Levi Ives opened the scoring after a quarter-of-an-hour, but David Cushley levelled for the home side on 30 minutes. Sean Moore restored the Reds' advantage sixty seconds after that and when Ronan Hale added another in first half stoppage time it looked like game over.

However, Stuart King's side were thrown hope through Kyle Cherry on 51 minutes before, in the closing moments, Lloyd Anderson snatched the equaliser.

Larne needed just one goal to get the better of Glentoran at the BetMcLean Oval, a win that sees them close the gap on the Reds to just one point with a game in hand.

Lee Bonis bagged what proved to be the winner just after the hour when he was allowed to get on the end of a cross from the left to send the ball past Aaron McCarey.

Linfield, in third, laid down a huge statement of intent with a thumping 6-1 defeat of Glenavon at Mourneview Park.

Andrew Clarke needed just six minutes to break the deadlock with a sweeping finish into the bottom corner but Conor McCloskey levelled for Gary Hamilton’s side midway through the first half.

But the damage was done after the break. Sam Roscoe made it 2-1 on 52 minutes, Eetu Vertainen added a third on 57 before Chris Shields knocked home a couple of spot-kicks with new signing Max Haygarth wrapping things up with eight minutes remaining.

Crusaders produced a workmanlike performance to get past Newry City at Seaview.

Dean Ebbe continued his recent good form with the opener around the half-hour mark before Jordan Owens made it 2-0 on 63 minutes. Declan Carville pulled one back for Newry on 77 minutes to potentially set up a nervy finish but a sensational Jordan Forsythe strike just three minutes after that settled the outcome.

Coleraine came from behind to defeat bottom of the table Portadown at The Showgrounds.

Greg Moorhouse edged the Ports in front after 12 minutes following some poor home defending, but Rodney Brown levelled midway through the first half with Matthew Shevlin and Conor McKendry also finding the net before the break. Michael McCrudden then rounded the scoring off just after the hour.

Meanwhile, at Ballymena, the Sky Blues hit two goals without reply past Dungannon Swifts.

Andrew McGrory broke the deadlock early in the second half from the spot with David McDaid making sure of the points deep into stoppage time.